Foxhole
by Mister Bombastic
Summary: Frost and new Rainbow operator X-ray are assigned to a longterm reconnaissance mission in the Canadian wilderness. Time goes by, and a bond forms. In the foxhole they share, the two begin to share a new experience together, kindling a fire within them. / OC x Frost, slowburn, Rated M for future graphic scenes \
1. Chapter 1

Being in the woods was always a pleasurable experience for X-ray. The cool, serene surroundings were a respite from the troubles of the world. The isolation meant to think with one's thoughts, figuring out what the next path was going to be or how they'll do it. Frost always thought that way, she never took shortcuts and had the patience of a saint. Naturally, she was paired with X-ray on a mission involving this nature thanks to her hunting background and his survivalist training.

They were part of a long-term reconnaissance mission in the middle of nowhere somewhere in the Canadian wilderness. The vivid lush of green around the foxhole blended well with her CADPAT variant uniform. X-ray's multicam pants were the only camouflaging he had, but it served decently enough.

They shared a medium sized foxhole dug several feet into the ground with a small makeshift roof of grass and branches. It provided excellent cover and discretion for scouting ahead. Only a foot away laid a camouflaged tent dug into the ground to make it less visible.

The target was a compound about five miles west of their location. Recon was minimal, activity was dull, and the weather was sluggish. Thunderstorms and lightning prevented any sort of helicopter pickup. All they had together was a foxhole, a decent tent and two sleeping bags.

She didn't make much small talk. Frost, or Tina, rather, was always singularly focused. X-ray, or Isaac, was rather blunt and to the point. Small talk was something that they didn't make, the silence taking up the space. Sometimes the silence became too awkward.

"Tina—mind I call you Tina?—I was wondering if I can ask some questions."

She turned around and looked at him, thinking for a second. "I don't mind Isaac, just not over the comms." Tina put down her C1 SMG by a standing log. "Shoot."

"What made you get into hunting? I know you're a pretty avid hunter back home."

It was a little personal, but Frost didn't mind. It's better to get it out of the way so they could get focus on the task at hand. She shrugged, crossing her arms as she peered over the hole. "Always been surrounded by nature. There wasn't much for me to do in Vancouver besides go out in the forests and hunt. My dad hunted in China, so he taught me how to hunt since he didn't have any other kid to teach."

"You're an only child?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "What about you? I read on your file that you're quite the outdoorsman."

"Did my file mention I'm also ruggedly handsome?" He chuckled, examining his Honey Badger. "I've always been into nature, the quietness and unspoiled aspect of it all is relaxing. I grew up in a mountain town, so this I prefer naturalization over urbanization."

"I always thought that too. I never did like staying in Van City for too long, otherwise I'd go crazy," She laughed, a smile coming under her mask. "Plus, it was the only reason I was allowed to shoot guns outside the police or military."

"All I had growing up was an airsoft gun, pa was always pretty against guns," X-ray added. "Look at me now, I carry my gun around like a suitcase."

"You can never please a parent," She smiled. "Your old man doesn't approve of the job?"

"Somewhat. He passed a while ago, so I don't worry about it."

Frost winced. "Damn, sorry for your loss."

"It's alright, it's been years. I've moved on," he leaned against the dirt of the foxhole. The cool mud and soil dirtied his uniform, but it was a relaxing sensation.

Another few moments of silent pass, morphing into hours as they didn't pay each other attention. Neither said a word as the day slowly dwindled into twilight, the crickets and critters beginning their calls and chirps of the night. No sign of enemies, no sign of intelligence, no sign of anything. Just miles and miles of trees and nothing.

* * *

He volunteered to stay up for night watch. A mistake on his part really, he very much enjoyed sleep. X-ray checked his watch.

 _2:42 AM_

Each second felt like a day as the hands slowly tick to the right. The minute movements keeping his focus sharp on the task at hand. In an hour, his shift would be done, and Frost would have a go.

X-ray was glad to not sleep at the same time as her, he thought. Wouldn't have slept a wink with that snoring coming from the tent.

He turned to the middle of the foxhole. The fire pit was out, the soft glowing embers dancing around the air. Fire, under the right conditions, was a beautifully destructive sight. Seeing the small flakes of heat dance around and with each other made it a source of entertainment. Even so, it was a temporary thing. The embers died out along with rest of the charred firewood. Whatever moonlight shone through the tall trees provided the only light. Whatever angle they hit on the floor was the angles he saw.

X-ray checked his watch once more. Half an hour passed so far. He turned to the tent and noticed the snoring went away, much to X-ray's surprise. He slowly roused from the foxhole and stepped his way to the tent. The latch was partially open, peering in the hole.

There she was, the mass that was Frost surrounded by a camo sleeping bag. Her bob hair sprayed about carelessly across her forehead. He never really noticed how she looked like without that dumb beanie on her head. It was a little cute, seeing it all mussed up. It certainly was a stark contrast to her clean character.

He zipped up the tent and went back to his spot. The animals also seemed to be sleeping, their noises now more sparse and low than before. X-ray lifted up the balaclava he wore and whipped out a smoking pipe. He stuffed the mouthpiece in and started to enjoy the taste.

Another few moments of silence passed, the foxhole now carried the sweet aroma of tobacco. A simple yawn escaped, his eyes getting increasingly heavy. Showing away his pipe was a harder task than it should be, his lids narrowing to put it away. Maybe it wouldn't hurt closing them for a second, just a second. He relaxed, slumping over his collar.

"Isaac, you alright? I smell smoke." Frost's voice called out, stirring him up. Her voice is groggy and tired as well, her figure slowly moving across the dark forest floor. She rubs her almond eyes and stretches. "It's my turn to keep watch."

"Oh yeah?" He sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I'll get going to the tent."

Sudden sniffing made him stop. "Something wrong?"

"No, it just smells smoky, like tobacco," Frost smelled the air, realizing that it trailed from him. She turned to X-ray. "You smoke?"

"I smoke from a pipe, healthier than cigs," X-ray explained. "Helps me stay focused."

"Smells nice," Frost chuckled. "Thanks for making the foxhole smell homey."

"You're welcome," X-ray chuckled. "I try to make everywhere I've been comfy."

She laughed in response, and he smiled. X-ray shuffled off to the tent, laying his gun down next to him and closing his eyes. Finally, sleep was available.

Few seconds of darkness and ease, and he fell asleep, the colorful beginning of dreams forming in his subconscious.

* * *

Flashes of what seemed to be his dream flew through his mind. Frames of things he'd seen throughout the day contorted into a caricature of themselves. Trees suddenly morphed and changed into long metal poles or straws, rocks into animals, and grass into various colors. All so vividly familiar, yet completely foreign.

It wasn't until the colors started fade that he noticed himself in the dream. He wore nothing except for a pair of boxers, his feet tickling against toiling grass. Tina was there, dressed in her full uniform with her weapon drawn. He tried to speak, only to realize he couldn't say a word. It was like he forgotten how to speak. Isaac furrowed his brows and threaded across the ground to Tina. She remained focus on a object too distant for even Isaac to see.

He tried to tell her something. Only silence came out. Drawing his hand away from himself, Isaac reached to poke her. The dream hand felt the rough fabric of her jacket, Tina's head immediately snapping to the left, facing Isaac. Tina wasn't wearing the mask she usually wore, instead, her mouth held a pipe to it. Kinda like his, but as if styled like her Sterling traps.

"Hey Tina, whatcha doin'?" Isaac finally let out. The way it was said was clearly not him, but like a child.

"Making the place homey!" She joyously whispered. Then, she suddenly turn into tobacco ash, crumbling and flying away in the wind. He tried to ask her what happened, a weak "Tina" calling out before his eyes opened.

He awoke from the strange dream, rubbing his eyes and checking his hands. He still wore his clothes.

Isaac unzipped the tent and checked the foxhole. Tina was asleep, resting on her gun overlooking the northern area of the forest. He looked at his watch, reading 5:27 in the morning.

Isaac looked back at Tina. The weather was crispy, the fog of an early morning spreading around. If anyone was looking for them, they'd have a hard time doing so. He stepped out of the tent gear in hand and stepped in the foxhole. Looking at his sleeping partner, there was an essence of rest that hadn't been seen by him for the entirety he's been in Rainbow. He frowned and made his way to awake her.

It felt rude, and there was no clear danger anywhere in sight. Isaac figured he'd let the Canadian woman sleep in a bit more. Unloading his pipe, Isaac began putting in a new set of tobacco, making the foxhole "homey" again when she awakes.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey guys, long time no see. I can explain my absence, but first a little about this story. This story has been sitting in my docs for a while and I decided to publish it for the sake of publishing it. Of course it's a self indulgent OC x R6 character story, but don't worry, it won't be too cliche. It'll be a slow burn, so that's exciting.**

 **As for my other stories, they're in the works. I'm about halfway done with a new chapter In Full Color, a quarterway done with a new Under the Rainbow chapter, and barely beginning with Troll Jammed my heart. I've been working on other projects in Ao3 and been focusing with life as well, since I'm shipping out in a few months for basic training.**

 **That being said, I hope you've enjoyed my story. Give it a review or follow, and stay golden.**

 **-Mister Bombastic**


	2. Chapter 2

The fog cleared up by sunrise. Instead of the gloomy and ever present cloud that washed over the forest, rays of sunshine blasted through. Isaac was able to tell the lush green was more vivid than previously thought. Tina's CADPAT wove right into the grass' colors. His uniform stood out more, looking like a dry patch of withered grass.

"Should've picked something a little more greener," Tina chuckled, noticing the way he stood out. He straightened out his pants, crossing his arms after.

"Excuse me for not being fashion savvy," Isaac smiled back. "Not everyone can be as aesthetically appealing as you."

A playful shove ended the conversation. Isaac checked the time, right then was the best time for clarity on the White Mask compound. He hiked up his backpack, and climbed out the foxhole. Frost followed suit, stepping along a newly paved path. The journey was silent hike on the rugged terrain, the focus on the mission only. The compound was a few miles away, making the focus on moving more important than small talk.

* * *

They finally approached the vicinity of the compound. Located in a clearing of the forest, the area was rather small. Only two decent size buildings with a shed near the southwest. It was surrounded by woods and small hills that provided the two the perfect cover for long range recon. They both went prone against a fallen log, pulling out their binoculars and a long range drone designed by Twitch back at base. A quick activation process led the camouflaged robot to scoot its way to the base.

"Area is in visual," Isaac harked. "Starting recon."

"I see a tango on the roof," Tina noted. "New guy, carrying a sniper."

"That makes five total," Isaac sighed. "This could be more than a scouting post than we previously thought."

"Should we move in?"

"No, we still don't know if there's civilians or more Masks inside."

Tina pointed to an open side on the building. The morons left a window open. "You got an entry point, left of the building face."

"Got it, moving in." the drone scooted along the grass silently, unnoticed by the guards making their rounds. It managed to slip in through an open window, scouring the insides of the building.

Nothing spectacular inside. Mostly just some folded tables and chairs set out holding what looked like to be weapon parts or bags of drugs. There was a an old HAM radio set up as well, an easy way to communicate without suffering through peering listeners. The drone flipped around and traveled to the next room. A small lab in the bathroom, filled with chemicals and a tub for making the drugs. "Drug lab spotted."

"So it's a trading post. They receive drugs, make or cut it, and sell it to the nearest city or town. Scumbags." Tina furrowed her brows. Isaac slipped the drone into an open vent, shutting off. "We should wait to see if there's a pickup so we can get some more intel."

He brought out his PDA and took notes on the situation, ready to send it back to HQ once he was able to. "Exactly what I was thinking." Isaac said

"Great minds think alike."

He chuckled. Tina went on with her spotters scope and found the tailpipe of a truck just behind the second building, covered from their angle. "I think there's a truck just behind the building, check it out with the drone."

"Got it." Isaac flipped the drone back on and scooted out of the vent to the outside. He cornered around the second building and spotted a functional pickup truck with the driver's door wide open.

"Get the license plate, we'll get a fix on who's delivering this stuff."

The drone went around the cars rear, but there was no plate. Isaac went to the front, a plate was found. There was something off about it, as if it's been reattached multiple times to the car. The scarring from screwdrivers and faded colors show its seen many years on the road. He frowned, realizing that it's a fake plate number with a Montana state designation.

"Bastards are using a fake plate, or one from another car. I've seen Cartel's do it when shipping drugs by car in the southern border. If we trace it back it'll probably be from the nineties."

"These guys are pretty intent on hiding their steps," Tina said. "Not like our usual guys."

"They must be working with a gang or mafia, protecting this lab for them," Isaac flipped on his PDA and took the license plate down for note. "What's the nearest major city here?"

"Van City, but we're nearly a two hundred miles from the nearest house. It'll take them hours for them to reach the city."

"A perfect guise. Let's pack up and head back before they get suspicious."

"You sure, I mean we have a lot of time—"

The sudden screen static on the long range controller was example enough. Through the spotters scope Tina saw a man yelling at the guards to search the area around the compound. "Yeah okay, let's get out of here."

They had the upper hand, already being a distance away from the area. Avoiding the guards was an easy task, making their way to the foxhole.

"This was a change of plans," Tina remarked. Isaac couldn't help but smirk, perched over the ground to see if they even manage to track them.

"You're telling me. Next time we go we have to move in, now that they suspect that there's someone watching them."

"Maybe I can use my mats for good use. Set them up along the perimeter, see if we catch us a White Mask." She laughed. "Get some intel, get a ride to the nearest airport and make our way all the way back to Hereford."

"Just when I was starting to tolerate you out here too, what a shame."

"And just when I thought you were rocking those cargo pants. You look amazing in green." Another short laugh, the bird's chipper only responding to the joke. There was a slight glance at each other, if there was another spectator one could see the stare. It lingered for a moment, before a sudden air of awkwardness washe Dover like a gust. Isaac cleared his throat, motioning out to the wilderness. "So, let's set up those leg traps, maybe some cams on the way too?"

"Sure," she replies, giving an awkward smile. "I can go alone, though."

That wasn't a response he expected. Isaac shifted under her gaze, a brow furrowed in some confusion. "Are… are you sure? I don't want anything to happen to you if I wasn't there."

Tina stared blankly at him before choking out a response and another awkward laugh. "Yeah! I mean, I can take care of myself Isaac. I know the woods like the back of my hand. All grown up y'know, thirty-two years and counting, don't need to be constantly watched."

That was a satisfying enough answer. Something told him that she didn't like the babying, so Isaac backed off. He nodded and agreed with her, positioning himself lower in the foxhole. "Alright then, just report when you're coming back so I don't accidentally shoot you."

"We wouldn't want that to happen now would we?" She smiled.

"Of course not, I don't want Buck to kick my ass."

That earned another laugh. Isaac always was known for a comedic personality. She waved goodbye carrying a rucksack full of her traps, walking off into mounds of earth.

A sudden thought crossed his mind. It was out of the realm of realism but it created an uneasy feeling in his chest. What if she was caught by the White Masks? No, she could handle herself in a fight. What if she was too badly wounded, unable to make back to the foxhole? If he had been there—

No, she is a perfectly capable operator. She's been doing this for years, what makes it any different than the hundreds of other recon missions she's done in the past years?

Maybe it was time for a smoke break, a little tasting of tobacco would ease this sudden heap of nerves. The process of lighting his pipe was mechanical, time consuming, and ultimately calming. The taste of the tobacco lingered in his mouth, puffing out the smoke with a sigh.

This was a strange feeling. He hasn't recalled feeling this worried about another person liked this for a while, especially in this sense of constant danger and risk. Isaac furrowed his brows. Maybe they could talk about it when Tina comes back.

Maybe.

* * *

 **A/N: the plot thickens. Heat is making me super tired lately and left me pretty unmotivated about doing anything really. I wish it would end already. Thankfully it's suppose to cool down next week so I'll be working at full force.**

 **Like before, the other stories are slowly being built. Been trying my hand at drawing, so that's something new. Another possible OC story will pop up, haven't decided.**

 **Say cool, hydrated, and golden.**

 **-Mister Bombastic**


	3. Chapter 3

Frost still didn't come back from her trap placements. It was strange, worrisome for such a talented and experienced hunter to take this long placing simple traps. Isaac checked his watched, nearly two hours passed without any sort of contact with him. It wouldn't hurt for a radio check with Tina.

"Frost, what's your sitrep. It's all quiet out here, over."

"Roger X-ray, I'm Oscar Mike back to home. ETA ten minutes, over."

Isaac sighed, relieved that she was reporting. "Alright, understood. I'll make the place comfy, over. X-ray out."

The shadows in the forest became darker as the sun finally started its journey to the west. Isaac leaned back into the dirt and used his binoculars to check the surrounding wood. Nothing but trees and grass, all empty save for the small critters that scurried away as soon as he spotted them. The forest was bountiful, maybe they could grab something to cook for the night.

He chuckled, the thought reminding him of his childhood in the woods, scoping out for animals to catch. The radio buzzed in again with the familiar voice of Tina, shuffling in the dirt. His train of thought broke.

"X-ray, this is Frost. I placed several cameras along the trail from the base to our foxhole. They're all satellite and connected to the PDAs. That's why I took a bit longer than I should've, over."

"That's fine Frost, better safe than sorry," he replied. Through his binoculars he saw Tina emerge from the dense thicket. "Spotted you, welcome back home."

She waved, her other hand holding her C1. Tina hurried along to the ridge of the foxhole and rolled in, placing her gun away from her. "They gave up their search about a couple miles in. Woods was too dense for them to scour."

"That's good to know, good work."

"Thanks. I wouldn't expect them to come by anytime soon."

"Another week in this grubby little hole too. I wish I was back at Hereford drinking with the team," Isaac huffed.

"Please don't mention that," Tina groaned. "You're making me miss Porter's cocktails."

Smoke made the best damn drinks that side of the hemisphere. What he did with his hands and what he thought made for some damn good drinking. Even the toughest drinkers in the team would fall prey into the Brit's weapons of intoxication. Tina was particularly fond of such drinks.

"What does he call them, Toxic Babes," Isaac asked. "Or Toxic Beauties?"

"Toxic Beauties, have you had one."

"No, don't think so."

"They'll fuck you up, trust me,"

Isaac laughed. Tina tried to continue, stuttering with laughs of her own until she managed to choke her laughter down. Okay, okay! I was drinking with Buck and two of those things made me forget the entire day. They just randomly hit you at once, and everything kinda just turns into a two second blur. You have no idea what's going on or what you're doing. Then suddenly, black."

"That sounds more like drugging than a blackout." Isaac chuckled.

"Yeah, I know. Then you wake up naked in a bed that isn't your own. You freak out and start to randomly remember everything."

When her heard 'naked' Isaac's attention turned somewhere different. A wash of surprise and shock came down to his chest. He tried to communicate but it came in a broken stutter.

"Wha—wait, n-naked?"

"Yeah, it's a long story."

Isaac relaxed and looked around. It was clear that they weren't expecting company any time soon. "Well, we've got a long mission. What the hell happened?"

"Isaac, I'm not so sure I want to tell you this," Tina looked away. "It's embarrassing and a bit personal."

Isaac frowned. "Look Tina. Sometimes the hardest choices require the strongest sacrifice—"

"You stole that from Infinity War," She smiled.

"It's a good quote," Isaac defended. Tina giggled at his response. He sighed, and made a half smile. "I mean c'mon, once you start something like that it needs to be finished."

"I'm not sure if I feel comfortable with telling you. Like I said it's kinda personal," she replied. "I don't want to put the burden of our personal lives into our professional one."

Shit, Tina knows that he valued the professionalism side of things during ops. Perhaps this was all getting too sociable for the both of them. Isaac nodded along and dropped the subject, for the betterment of the both of them.

"If you don't want to tell it I'll respect your decision."

"Thank you. Check the cams would you? I need to clean my gun."

He nodded. "On it."

The cams only revealed what he's seen for hours on end before. Trees, green stuff, plants, and the lonely pack of deer or moose. Flipping through the cameras became mundane in the matter of seconds, the only thing to change between them was the placement of trees of of different angles. A minute passed, then five, then ten. Nothing had changed.

He peered up from the PDA every few minutes, watching the progress of Tina cleaning her weapon. To see Frost wiping away the grime from her barrel slowly and methodically like it was an artists brush, it made a strange feeling in him. Isaac had never seen a soldier take such time to wipe a weapon clean.

He didn't watch the cameras, nothing were on them anyway. Instead he watched in fascination as she took and eternity to wipe away at her gun parts. Isaac rubbed his chin curiously, before finally speaking up.

"Do they tell you to take your time at boot camp?"

"I didn't go to boot camp, I went to the Royal Military College to become an officer," she said, wiping some unknown black grime from the tip of her muzzle. "Your records say you were in the US Army, you weren't an officer?"

"No, enlisted. We use to take our weapons apart like Legos and stack them back up as fast."

She hummed a song that he couldn't recognize. "Oh? Not many people in Rainbow are enlisted."

He stared at her for a moment, unsure of what to say next. The air became still, crickets making their noise in the background. "Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. 1998 to 1999. That was were I was stationed for Basic Training."

She finally finished her barrel and put it next to her other parts, leaning in as If he was telling a story. "How was it like? The only basic training I've ever done was for the JTF2, and I don't think it was like regular grunt training."

Isaac widened his eyes, blew air out of his mouth, and rubbed his neck. "It's been a while, don't know if much has changed but it was… sucky."

"Sucky?"

"When I was there, they basically stripped you away and rebuilt you. You learn that everything about boot camp was god awful, and they make you embrace it." Isaac began getting a bit dreamy, staring off into the woods. "We were surrounded by woods like right now, covered in a foot of snow miles away from base. We learned to embrace the suck, live in the suck. I never known a soldier to like boot camp in any sense, but I know they'll all do it again in a heartbeat."

"Would you do it again?"

"Gladly."

The response made her laugh softly, and he smiled in return. "You ever go to college?"

"I did, after my first contract ended,"

"Nice, How was it?"

Isaac frowned. "Socially I was a bit introverted. Couldn't get along with most kids, felt like I was part of the lost generation y'know? I've fought in a war and they never seen a gun in real life."

"That's just how it is, we fight so they don't have to. What were your majors?"

"Social Science and World History."

"What, why?" She asked incredulously. "Did you expect to become a museum curator for the rest of your life instead of an operator."

"No," he rubbed his neck. "I wanted to be a teacher. Got my teaching license recently, I'm now able to be a teacher within the state of California."

This shocked Tina. A surprised look came about her along with a disbelieving stare. "I don't believe that. You can't just give up an ordinary life for one that has a risk of death every day."

He shrugged. "I suppose when I retire from this I can teach kids."

"You're too mellow about this, y'know that?" She crosses her arms.

"What about you? What did you major in your Military College."

"Science and Mechanical Engineering. Anything with machinery and science is a good career if I ever retire."

"Why do you say 'if'?"

"Hm?"

"Why do you say 'if'? Do you expect to do this until your as old as Thatcher?"

Tina shifted in her spot, looking around. She was trying to think of a way to say her explanation, he concluded. "You know what this job requires us to do, even at the very end. There's always a chance…"

She sighed.

"There's always a chance that we can die. I mean, for Rainbow running three years without a single death is extraordinary, but it's bound to happen eventually. Hell, even if it's with someone I'm not fond of at base it'll still be hard for us as a family."

Isaac stayed silent. She was right, but it wasn't the same view he shared. He always knew that, but Isaac has to stay alive, otherwise everything leading up to this moment would be for nothing. A minute pass, stillness setting in.

"I don't like to wait for something like that to happen," he finally said. "Feels like you give up on your abilities and trust for your team if you expect it to happen. Of course it'll happen but it doesn't mean you should always use that excuse for anything involving the future."

And yet again, the stillness set in. Tina didn't look at Isaac, pondering what the man said took up her attention. She was just like an owl: keen, thoughtful, patient. The sun already had set a while ago, and the stars took over. She looked up to the starry night without facing Isaac.

Tina finally said something as she looked down and reassembled her weapon. A voice finally piped up. "You're a really easy person to talk to, Isaac."

"So I've been told."

"I don't know, you're just…" she struggled to find the correct word without offending him. "Open. You're different from the rest. Most won't talk about the future or what they think about. Everyone is just so… _stoic_."

"Stoicism makes for good soldiers in pictures. They have to be."

The night trickled in as Tina put away her lantern. She was ready for her shift until his hand was out on her shoulder.

She immediately stiffened under his touch, but relaxed as soon as she realized that Isaac hand wasn't firm on her. It was a certainly off sensation. Tina was one to have her personal space so violated. The woman figured that it was just to let her now something, she hoped.

"I'll take the first shift. Go get some sleep."

Relief washed over her. His hand slid off the shoulder and suddenly, that spot felt warm in her uniform.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'll wake you up later."

Tina smiled and headed towards the tent. She undressed her gear, slipping inside the cool sleeping bag inside. Closing her eyes, the darkness of sleep came over and took her away

* * *

 **A/N: How about that Grim Sky news? Can you believe that Frost is getting an elite skin, it looks badass. It makes her traps more noticeable though, that's a bit of a nerf from what people say. Excited for Maverick though!**

 **Anyways, new chapter, some character development between the two. More to come later. Stay golden.**

 **-Mister Bombastic**


	4. Chapter 4

Sunrise.

God rays blasted through the open zipper entrance of the tent and managed to directly blast Isaac directly in the eyes, forced to now awake. The overcast seemed to take over, except for one area that decided to wake Isaac with its weather powers. He frowned and groaned, climbing out of his sleeping bag and out the tent. They wore the same clothes as days before, no real reason to change into other clothing. Even if they did pack any.

He saw Tina looking away into the wood with a metal cup in her hand. It smelled like coffee. She turned and smiled when she saw him, grabbing another cup by the side.

"Hey, you're awake," she smiled, handing the cup to him. "Managed to make some coffee, it's cold though."

"Appreciate it, but I don't really drink coffee," Isaac took a spot next to her, setting the cup down. "Thanks though."

"More for me later," Tina replied. "I was checking the traps, nothing to report."

"You think that they're still there? I figure with the drone being spotted they'd pack up and leave." He rubbed his chin slowly. "I think it's a good idea to do some recon, maybe plant some bugs on the way."

"You read my mind. Here, have some breakfast and we'll head out," She plopped a protein bar into his lap. "Better to not waste time."

Another hike to the compound was the same as before. They crept up to the same watching position as last time and screened the area with their binoculars. There was little change, except the security was bumped up, footmen who lounged around inside the buildings like last time now took up rounds. They were taking precaution since their last endeavor.

"They upped their security," Tina confirmed. "It'll be harder to get into the base."

"We have to get personal, lure them out or take them out—"

"Hold on, bogey coming up on us, fifty meters."

A guard began to slowly close the distance, wandering about rocks and logs. Both the operators held their breath and reache slowly for their weapons. Tina lacked a suppressor on her gun, a round from her would alert everyone. Isaac quickly reached for a pouch with a suppressor, pulling it out and screwing the thing on the barrel of his pistol.

"You have any water?"

"You're gonna shoot wet?"

"It makes it quieter," he held out his hand waiting patiently. She handed him a canteen and he quickly poured it inside the suppressor. "Where is he?"

"Coming, ten meters. What's the call?"

The White Mask suddenly stopped in his tracks. He scanned the long as if something was hiding and approached it slowly. Behind the slit of his mask Isaac could see his eyes move around the area. He squeezed the pistol grip hard, harshly whispering through gritted teeth. "C'mon, leave you sonuvabitch, leave!"

The White Mask turned away, paying heed to the shouting of a superior. He jogged back to the compound, much to the relief of the operators. They both let out a sigh, Tina scrunching her eyebrows together. Isaac chuckled softly. "That was a fucking close call."

Tina frowned under her mask. "We need to leave."

"Agreed, let's head back to hole."

They slowly backed away from the log, crouching and returning back to the wood. Tina turned around, making sure they weren't noticed. They quickly went to the thicket and disappeared from the area. The place will hopefully still be there later, whether it'll be abandoned is immaterial.

As they trailed back to the camp, the overcast morphed into storm clouds. The sky was ominous, the smell of water soaking through the atmosphere. Isaac felt the first drop on his neck, then Tina on her nose, and finally the rain drops picked up.

Heavily.

It poured on the two, thunder clapping throughout the trees. The hike turned into a jog, nearly tripling and falling into the newly formed mud. By the time they'll make it back to base the foxhole will be flooded, they can't let that happen, especially with all their things inside it.

"I thought it wasn't supposed to rain this week."

Tina laughed. "That's just BC for you, it always rains."

Struggling against the heavy hitting droplets, the found themselves at a pass where there was a large puddle in a crevice. The rain grew harder, and the tough dirt under Isaac's foot weakened. Under his weight it crumbled and he fell into the puddle. Tina suppressed a giggle at the action. Isaac grunted in disgust as he pulled himself from the puddle. "Fuck, I don't want to be more wet!"

"Let's step up the pace then, you'll get sick if you don't change." Tina said, hurrying along the trail.

They arrived to the campsite. The things inside the dugout now floated on the top of the large pool it collected, both operators frowning at the scene. The tent was fine, at least.

"Damnit, all my shit was in there," Isaac held his hips. He saw that his pack was floating in the top of the pool, bumping with another object. He tried reaching to grab it, stretching dangerously into the pond.

"Isaac, you sure you can grab it?"

"Yeah, I just need to—"

The ridge where he placed his front foot collapsed. He fell into the pool in a spectacular display, arms braving the frigid water. He damn near splashed all the water out, but the rain was sure to quickly refill any escaped drops. Tina couldn't help herself, bursting out laughing as he thrashed and stood in the water completely soaked. He grabbed all their necessary equipment, tossing them to the mud. She continued laughing, helping up the objects. "Are you okay Isaac?"

"Never better," he climbed out of the foxhole, being soaked more by the rain. "Damnit..."

A sudden gust of frigid air took them by surprise, then a thunderclap. The rain pelt then harder, and colder. It freezes as soon as it landed to the floor, turning the grass and mud into hardened ice.

"Shit, freezing rain…You need to get into some dry clothes, otherwise you'll catch your death. C'mon, let's go to the tent before it gets worse."

They crossed the growing puddles and grass before zipping the tent door open, crawling inside and zipping it back up. Isaac was absolutely sodden, every inch of him was wet. Tina frowned when he noticed that that he began to tremble slightly in the tent. "Isaac, you're shivering."

"It's cold, and I'm wet," Isaac crossed his arms. "Are you surprised?"

Tina didn't like where this was going. Not another memory of shivering. "We need to get you out of those clothes ASAP, it isn't good for your health."

"Calm down, I'm fine." A particularly intense shiver came down Isaac's form. Breathing suddenly got a noticeably tougher, his hand shook as he reached for his plate carrier. "R-right."

Tina leaned in, helping unbutton and unharness his gear. She gently put his helmet and gear into a pile near his sleeping bag. More frosty wind blew in, piercing the fabric of the tent. The soaked gear near the edge of the of the tent door slowly crystallized. Isaac fingers began to tremble too much to even grasp the zipper of his fleece hoodie. Tina pulled down the jacket and helped him out of it. A gray long sleeve shirt was under his fleece, that too dripping heavily. Tina grabbed the bottom hem of the shirt and helped pull it over his head, and tossed it to the pile.

He was covered in scars, not a surprising thing for someone who's been in this line of work for all his years. His skin has the usual farmers tan, from days or weeks of hiking with his clothes. There's a trail of hair from his chest to his groin, like a typical man has. Her hands slowly reach for the band of his pants, before blushing softly and realizing what she's doing.

"I-I'll take them off," Isaac says, teeth stuttering. She values his privacy and turns around as he pulled down his pants and tossed it with the other clothes. He climbs into his sleeping bag, naked except for his underwear.

"I'm fine Tina, don't w-worry about me," he assured. "Just gotta get a bit warm."

Tina quickly unclasped the buttons and belts of her gear and tossed them aside. She removed her heavy jacket and gives it to Isaac, leaving her in a gray long sleeve fleece. "Wear it. That might be a little small but at least it's dry."

"Are you worried I'm getting hypothermia or something? I feel fine," Isaac said, putting the jacket on. It's obviously too small for his frame, wrapping over his shoulders instead. Tina fumbles with her hands.

"I'm sorry, it's just that I get a bit nervous when that happens," she rubs her neck. "It was something from my trainee days. I don't want the same happening to you."

"Maybe we should start a fire then, or at least want the place up. It's getting cold as hell."

"Alright, stay in there and wait. I'll start the fire," she nodded. "Get some rest, you'll be better when you're awake."

"W-whatever it takes to get you to stop nannying me," he joked. She laughs, but he Isaac closes eyes and snuggled up in the sleeping bag.

She reached for the door and unzipped, only to see the weather changed from sleet to snow. It was very soft snowfall, slowly covering up the wet ground. It'll be hard to get moist kindle to burn, but Tina can do it.

After spending a few minutes finding decently dry firewood, she built another pit by the tent door and tried to light the fire. The snow kept falling slowly, topping the rocks like hair. Eventually, with the last stroke on the starter, sparks flew and burned the leaves under the wood. She quickly leaned down and blew slowly, and the fire began to grow.

Tina smiled and kept the fire going by prodding the kindle, slowly melting away nearby snow. She went over to the tent and saw Isaac sleeping gently inside the bag, his shivering stopped being as violent as before. She sat in the tent as well, basking in the warmth that the fire gave. Tina picked up Isaac's clothes. They were clumpy, some freezing already on certain areas. They smelled icy, but there was the other aromas that she didn't recognize. Cologne maybe? Isaac wouldn't pack something that unimportant for a camping mission. It was all over his clothes, she noticed.

On his inner layer, the white undershirt, there was the aroma that smelt sweet, yet bitter. It was the strongest there. She brought it closer, smelling the area. It reminded her of lemon candies, the ones that her mother use to give her and her friends on school days. Tina smiled at the memory, admiring the scent of his shirt. Long was the time that the aroma of a mission reminded her of something so… _warm_. It made her feel warm inside, even in the chilling snow.

Finally it dawned on her that smelling his clothes wasn't doing anything. She put the thing back with the other clothes and watched the fire. When Isaac eventually wakes up, he can tell her about the lemon cologne.

* * *

 **A/N: New chapter. Tina, stop smelling clothes please.**

 **Hope you enjoyed, working on some stories for Ao3 so I haven't been up to date here. Stay golden.**

 **-Mister Bombastic**


	5. Chapter 5

Tina stared at Isaac blankly while he slept. His breathing evened out, and his temperature wasn't as low as she felt when he fell asleep in the first few minutes. The guess was right, he nearly suffered from sudden hypothermia. The sudden drop in temperature and his dunking in muddy water was probably the cause.

Tina knew Isaac grew up in a mountain town, snow wasn't anything new to him. Maybe she just envisions California as somewhere that's all beach and warm weather based on her ignorance.

The fire dwindled a bit as the sun began to set again, judging by how dark the clouds began to get. She tossed some branches into the fire and prodded, getting it warmer until they caught. That was her only job for now, seeing that the fire didn't go out. Minutes, hours passed and all she had was the fire. Isaac was still asleep, but by the way, they've been sleeping for the past few days, he was going to get up soon.

When nightfall came by, the clouds seem to disappear, the moon at a full glow and exposing the winter dream that the forest became. If this wasn't a mission, this would've been a nice nature outing.

Isaac woke up, stirring a bit while fighting a nose sniffle. Tina smiled gently and tossed him his clothes before he turned around a tried to do a snot rocket. Tina laughed, both in disgust and humor. "Ew, you could've done it outside?"

"Don't worry, nothing came out," Isaac turned, rubbing his eyes. "Good morning, by the way. Or night."

"It's night time, around one o'clock I believe." She checked her watch. "Yep, one. Time for your shift. Your clothes are dry and warmed up by the way."

"Thank you," Isaac slid on his clothes piece by piece, stretching around to make the fabrics more comfortable. "I'll owe you once we get to Hereford."

"Don't mention it Isaac, you weren't well."

"Please Tina, let me make it up to you. I can guarantee that if it was any other operator here they would've let me do something for them. Plus I can't just let you keep doing things for me with nothing in return."

"It's really okay, you don't owe me anything." Tina looked at him and pondered for a moment. Maybe she can change her stance later down the road. "Just get dressed and ready for your rounds, I'm about to fall asleep right here."

"Yeah yeah, I'm almost done." He reached into his pack and ruffled through it, pulling out a small baggie of what looked like a type of plant. It didn't look like the tobacco he usually carried, it looked like weed even. She was about to say something until he opened it, and the flavor of the cologne entered her nose. That was the smell, a bag of little plant parts? He took some of the plants and began to rub it around his chest and neck, the aroma coming in strong and then gone in an instant.

"Hey," she started. Isaac looked up. "I noticed that your things smelled like lemons. Is that what makes it smell like that, that bag I mean."

Isaac looked over to his bag. He chuckled and confirmed that the bag was the smelly culprit. "Oh yeah, the plants called California Sagebrush, but most people call it cowboy perfume. I could stop using it if it's bothering you at all."

"No no!" She said quickly. It came off a bit desperate. "I love the smell. It reminds me of these lemon candies that my _lao lao_ use to give me and… it smells nice. I like it."

Isaac chuckled putting away the baggie and putting on his gear. "Well, okay then. I usually use it when I don't have deodorant or when I take the pipe too much."

Tina grinned. "It's very pleasant, almost calming. Where can you find it?"

"Oh, all along the coast in California. They grow in nature everywhere. Maybe when this is over and a couple of the ops from Cali can take you over and show you around. I'll be there of course." He laughs, exiting the tent. "Go on and sleep. I got it for now."

"Alright then, goodnight Isaac." Tina nodded and crawled inside the tent, taking refuge in the sleeping bag and drifting off. Isaac acknowledged her and put another log in the fire. She seemed to really enjoy the smell of the plant he has. An idea was set.

He went inside the tent silently and scanned for her mask, finding it next to a pile of her equipment. He grabbed the thing and sprinkled some little bits of the plant the inside, rubbing it around to mask it in better. Maybe she'll enjoy this little treat when she wakes up. "Goodnight Tina."

* * *

Hiking through the snow reminded X-ray of simpler days. The crunching under their boots was gentle, the heavy loads of their camping gear on them. Frost wasn't very far behind. She looked around the scenery, her breath creating a little cloud with every step over a ridge or log she came across. The sense of amazement from the nature surrounding them never left her eyes, even if that on the next encounter this forest can be the last thing she sees.

The way back to the outpost proved to be more difficult than before. Snowfall was slight, but he was noticing that it was picking up quickly. The wind began to get harsher as well, the trees shimmering above. They were almost there, it was only another quarter of a mile.

They hadn't said anything since their departure from the foxhole. The focus was on the mission and Frost being herself, the mission was the only thing on her mind. He couldn't blame her, the sooner this was over the better.

X-ray couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed that Frost didn't mention the sagebrush he put in her mask. Maybe she didn't like that much of it? He guesses he should try to add a little more if it wasn't too noticeable—

"The weather is getting worse," Frost said, feeling a particularly strong wind chill. She shivered in spot. "It feels like a Blizzard is coming."

"I've noticed," he said, breaking over a branch. "We've got to get to the base, we're almost there."

Another uphill climb in the snow. Might as well be hiking Mount Everest at this point, seeing that the Canadian snow can match it. They paved their steps, avoiding falling snow from branches shaken by the wind. It was stronger now, X-ray noticed, much more than before. The chills were getting more intense.

"We're almost there Frost, just a hundred more feet," he pushed away through low bushes and branches until he saw the compound just in view. He lowered himself and brought out his weapon, crawling up slowly and setting himself behind the ridge. He looked through the scope of his Mk14, scanning the area. The visibility was getting worse, every object slowly getting a shade of white haze by the second. But it looks like nobody was there.

The bastards abandoned it. That's the only explanation. The cars weren't there, and neither were any sentries or guards making rounds.

Frost was looking through a pair of binoculars, confirming what he saw. "They're gone. They're actually fucking gone."

"They must've known the blizzard was coming and ditched base, so much for our weather report," X-ray concluded, there's no reason to abandon it. "C'mon, maybe they leftIntel."

The two climbed over the ridge and got to the base closer than ever before, walking up to the building that looked like a large abandoned camper. He peeked around the corner, nothing but a flurry of snow going sideways. The storm was worse now.

"X-ray, spot anything?" Tina asked through the comms.

"Not a damn thing, the storm is getting worse. We need shelter."

"See if the camper is unlocked. We can't go back to the foxhole in these conditions!" She called out. The sound of the blizzard made it harder to yourself think.

Isaac poked around again, seeing the trailer door wide open. Some papers were flying out, meaning there's intel just inside. He walked around the corner, aiming cautiously at the door before entering the RV. Swiveling around his weapon at corners, the camper seemed to be empty. He lowered his weapon and relaxed in the seat of the camper, reaching comms. "RV is all clear Frost, come inside and warm up."

"Roger that, I'm on my—"

A gunshot broke the otherwise ambient wind. Tina cried out as she toppled over from a gunshot to her body. Isaac instantly shot up and ran outside the camper with his weapon drawn. He pivoted around, it was too damn white to see anything. "Tina!"

"I'm okay," she coughed back up. "Northwest…"

Isaac swung around. The snap of a bullet skewering near his head. He dove for the floor and fired two shots to whatever the direction was for the other gunman. Another round pierced the snow blanket in front of him, showering Isaac. He quickly put on his thermal scope, scanning the area. In the blue, he spotted a single red blob where Tina said he was, and took aim. He pulled the trigger once, the red blob instantly popping into smaller dots and falling quickly to the floor.

He quickly checked into his radio, Tina hasn't said anything since the small skirmish. "Tina, you still with me?"

No response.

"Tina!" He shouted. "Where the hell are you?!"

In the flurry, he saw a hand slowly poke up from the snow. He ran as quickly as he could over to it, seeing Tina's green uniform slowly but surely get swallowed by the snow. All that was exposed was her upper left torso and head, but that was quickly being blanketed too. He pulled the hand out of the snow and lifted her up, carrying her arm his shoulder. "It's alright, I have you. It's safe now."

"Thank you," She groans from the burning pain in her wound. "Is the tango down?"

"His head is in several different pieces," he says, "that good enough?"

"You bet your ass that's good enough," she winced again, grabbing her chest. Her knees got weak, her footsteps turning wobbly. "Ow…"

"Shit," Isaac muttered. He increased his pace towards the camper and reached it. The storm was at full mast now, his eyelashes covered in frost and snow. He closed the door behind them and later Tina on the table. Her green uniform was stained with blood, especially around her armpit. He began to undress her, quickly and carefully pulling off her gear and uniform. "I got this, don't worry."

"Isaac…" she began saying dreamingly. She slowly lifted her good arm and grabbed his shoulder. "Isaac…"

"What is it, Tina?" He pulled off her jacket, reaching her undershirt and taking it off. She was in her bra, and he could assess the wound. It was near her armpit, just behind her upper right chest. The bullet must've nicked her artery, and the blood she was losing was too much. He grabbed his canteen and washed away the blood before more replaced it.

"Thank you…" She said. Her voice was much more tired and her face was pale. "For the sagebrush."

"Hmm?" He said, bringing out the first-aid kit and quickly cleaning the wound. "What sagebrush?"

"The sagebrush you put in my mask. It was nice, I love the smell…" she was getting heavy-lidded. She started to tear up, a small stream coming from her eyes. "Isaac…"

"Stay with me, Tina!" He slapped her around, trying to get her more awake. It wasn't working. "Damnit!"

A minute passed. He did his best to patch up the wound, stitching as fast as he could. Blood was everywhere on the table and she was ghastly pale. He thought the worse as he pulled back from her to take on the awful sight. Isaac took off his gloves and reached for her neck, his two fingers feeling icy cold skin. He felt nothing at first, and his heart raced.

Then relief.

Isaac felt a weak, yet stable pulse. He sighed and collapsed onto a nearby chair, taking off his mask and wiping away sweat and rubbing tense muscles. She was alive, Tina was alive and she'll make it back home. He didn't need any more dead bodies in his name.

He collected himself and got Tina, gently carrying her over to a bed at the end of the camper, and laid her softly. He pulled over the blanket and let her rest. Then he saw bloodstains on the bed. They were dry though, too brown and oxidized to be recent. And a plastic wire dangling from the edge, leading up to an IV system. He looked around suddenly noticed all the medical equipment lying about, on counters and in drawers.

There was a furnace and next to it, a bag of bloodied bandages. Isaac kneeled and looked up the fridge. This must've been an impromptu medical station. He pulled the handle and saw several bags of blood laying cool under the fridge light. They look fresh, good enough to transfer. Poking around he found a bag for Tina's blood type. He grabbed the bag and began to prepare for transfer.

Isaac cleaned his hands and grabbed a small amount of snow from outside in a pail. He threw some leftover logs into the furnace to heat up the RV and melted the snow. Then heated the water to boiling and threw a needle into the bucket to disinfect it. After that was done he set up into the IV system and made a tourniquet for Tina, transferring the blood.

He sat back and watched her slowly return to color after a half an hour of cleaning up her blood. Maybe he should take a rest too, after all, he just saved her life. He closed his eyes in the chair and drifted off, the blizzard's ferocious calls dimming into nothing.

* * *

 **A/N: longest chapter so far! And what a turn of events, a lot when down this chapter didn't it?**

 **Anyways, hope you've all enjoyed the summer now that it's coming to a quiet close. As for me, work and such until I ship out in October. Enjoy your day's guys and stay golden.**

 **-Mister Bombastic**


	6. Chapter 6

Opening her eyes made her tired, the kids were too weak. Everything was too weak, the littlest actions made her exhausted. Scraping the energy she had left she turned her head over to look around. Tina didn't remember being inside an RV, the last thing she remembered was Isaac dragging her out of the snow.

She saw Isaac cooking up something on a stove. She couldn't tell what it was, but called out anyways. "That for me?"

Isaac stopped what he did and turned and went over to Tina. "You're awake, thank God. How are you feeling?"

"Tired, weak," she sighs, even talking is too much for her right now. "Just bad. What happened?"

"I guess a leftover Guard was around and got a hit," he points over to her shoulder, where a bandage covered up the wound. "It made it through your body armor and hit deep enough to cut open the artery. You lost a lot of blood."

She groans trying to move her arm, too much pain for now. What she wouldn't give for some morphine right about now. "How do you have IV equipment?"

"Seems like this camper was a makeshift clinic. They have some blood bags in the fridge and stuck you up to this thing," he nodded to the IV. "And here we are."

"What if," she took a deep breath. "That's bad blood?"

"The bag is checked 'good for use', so I can safely assume it's good," Isaac chuckled. "Not like I had other choices. You almost died."

"I know, I'm feeling the after effects," Tina tried to raise up but winced, the sharp pain in her shoulder making her grit in pain. "Damnit…"

Isaac went over to the stove and came back with what looked like a bowl of some type of oatmeal. He set up a little TV tray and placed the bowl there. "Here, something to eat for now."

Tina slowly climbed up to sit properly in front of the tray. Isaac helped her up, sitting her properly and stuffing some pillows behind her. She grabbed the spoon slowly and dipped into the thick glop. "Thank you," she took a spoonful to her mouth. "How's the weather?"

"Still hitting hard," he grabbed a piece of paper from the counter, handing it to her. "Plus, I found this. Weather report for the next three days."

"Heavy snow conditions," Tina frowned. "We'll be stuck here until it lets up."

Isaac didn't say anything, except getting up and throwing a log into the furnace. Tina sighed again and popped another spoonful inside. Oatmeal was oatmeal, but goddamn was it the best thing she's eating right now. Isaac seemed to be eating an MRE from their gear. "How's the equipment, will we have enough to last?"

"I think so, at least until the storm ends. Until then we're stuck in this camper," he answered. "Vancouver is what, about two hundred miles west of here? And there are no towns nearby either so yeah, we're stuck."

Tina sighed again and ate more oatmeal. This was going to be a difficult thing to report to HQ, if there was anything worthwhile to report anyways. They couldn't get what they were even smuggling out of here. It was probably drugs, that's how they funded themselves like any other terrorist group did, even if they weren't a goddamn enigma like the White Masks. She hadn't realized she already ate the oatmeal completely, her spoon clinking against a ceramic bowl. From what happened earlier, Tina could use much more energy.

"All finished?" Isaac said, reaching into the rucksack and pulling out an Omelet MRE. "Here's some more."

"Jesus the omelet MRE? Those things are awful," The Canadian took the bag and popped it open, holding her breath from the slosh that it was.

"Better than nothing, that's got enough calories to feed an elephant, so eat up."

She begrudgingly got her spoon and scooped up the "omelet", eating the thing with a face of pure disgust. Isaac only laughed as she continued eating. "God, I hated the omelet flavors. Those things are just awful."

"Yeah, lucky me," Tina said, through a full mouth of food. She gagged and put the bag away, holding her mouth as to swallow what was left in there. Isaac stopped laughing and got a cup of water for her, handing it to her slowly.

"You're too weak to be throwing up, here's some water to wash it down," he said, hand over her back. "Doing good Tina?"

"Y-yeah," she took a deep breath, sighing. "I'm fine. Give me something else to eat please."

Isaac turned back and searched through his bag near the table. Tina watched on as her eyes scanned the RV. There wasn't much to it, besides being looking expensive and more refined decor. On the table, there was dried blood from yesterday, a scary amount of it. Her heart pulsed a little faster when she saw that most of the seat was covered with a splotch or small dried brown spill.

She didn't remember much, only feeling tired and sleepy and going in and out of consciousness. The strong scent of lemon kept lingering throughout the entire process, Tina remembered the lemon scent from the sagebrush that Isaac put into her mask. She frowned, turning to Isaac. "Isaac?"

He continued searching through the bag for a different food without looking up. "Yes Tina?"

The way he said sent a little jump to her spine. God, that sounded like an old married couple trying to talk on a camping trip. "H-how…" She bit her lip, "How was I yesterday when you helped save me?"

He stopped his ruffling, looking over to her before pulling out what seemed to be a protein bar. "Why do you ask?"

"Because," She said. "All the blood that's on the table, staining the seat. Is… was that all me?"

He stayed silent for a few seconds. The table was mostly cleaned up, but whatever Isaac couldn't wipe away remained and stained it a dirty brown. "Yes," he put his hands into his pockets. "You lost a lot of blood. You nearly died."

Tina gulped. She spoke up again, her voice was shaky from even considering that her last moments of existence would've been yesterday. "I-I'm sorry that y-you had…" she looked away from the mess, imagining all the blood covering Isaac's uniform. She's experienced it, desperately hoping that her comrade didn't bleed out, all the while her entire body was covered in their blood with a small pool collected in the ground. Seeing them sickly pale with cold clammy skin…

Tina also knows what it's like to tell that family that their child, their hero died in her arms. Seeing the mixed emotions of anger and despair wash over their faces. Then collapsing from shock or simply straight-faced, too proud to admit that their son, their daughter perished. Seeing in her mind's eye seeing Isaac bringing back of what was left of Tina back to headquarters, bringing Sèbastien back to the homeland to tell her parents the same thing she told dozens of families before. Tina couldn't do that to Buck, to her family both at home and at Rainbow. Her eyes got watery.

She couldn't bare doing it to Isaac.

She breathed in, her voice trembling and her chest shaky. "I'm s-sorry that you had to clean it up. I should've b-been more aware and seen that sniper—"

"Don't do that," Isaac menaced. "Don't blame yourself for what happened. It wasn't your fault at all Tina."

Tina didn't expect that, such a threatening tone from a man who many at Rainbow considered _too_ friendly and polite. She stopped, waiting for him to continue.

He spoke up again. "I was the one who searched up ahead and didn't see him. I put your life at risk and I'm just cleaning up the mess that I caused. So don't ever blame yourself for that, because you damn well know that it wasn't your fault."

She remained silent. Isaac cleared his throat and packed up his gear, placing it into the little couch built around the table. He sat down and looked at her for a moment, before looking away and seeing the blizzard rave outside. Tina held back a sob, this wasn't supposed to go like this. A tear slid down her cheek and she subconsciously wiped it away. Isaac looked over and frowned, getting up.

Isaac wasn't the best at consoling another person, he was usually the one that hoped someone else would do it but seeing Tina getting so emotional made a knot in his insides. He slid a hand around her for a semi-hug, cooing her to relax.

"It's over now Tina, you're still alive and kicking. And I made sure that the bastard who shot you won't be getting up soon."

She sniffled, digging into the crevice of his chest. Isaac didn't stop her, wrapping his other arm around her as she slowly sobbed into his chest. People get emotional when they come close to death. It's not always right away, Isaac noticed in his years, sometimes the realization hits them suddenly and out of nowhere. He didn't mind that she cried into his chest. She needed a protector and a barrier, she needed a friend. No, that wasn't it, a friend is too much of a word for the relationship they have…

She needed more than a friend.

Tina felt safe from everything outside under his arms. His body was warm, welcoming her with that damned lemon scent. She felt comfortable around him more than before, after all, he saw and saved her from the lowest state she's ever been. If only she could repay him, if only she could get closer…

It hit both of them quickly. This was getting too personal for the two, this was still a mission after all. The two broke away from each other, with confused feelings deep inside their cores. Isaac got up and went to the stove, keeping his body and mind busy by tossing more firewood.

Tina kept to herself, huddled around the blanket and laying back down. She gained some strength back, thankfully, to slowly get herself to shift into positions back in the bed. She curled up around herself, resting fetal with the blanket wrapped around her nose.

For now, she'll keep smelling the sagebrush that rubbed off from his clothes, until she could get another chance at hugging him again.

* * *

 **A/N: The plot thickens. Hoped you all enjoyed this chapter, been a little lazy lately so I tried to get it done as quick as possible, hopefully, there aren't too many errors in it. Stay golden.**

 **-Mister Bombastic**


	7. Chapter 7

The camper, believe it or not, had fully functional power on its own. The two inside either guessed that it was still running a generator or it stored solar power, but they don't recall seeing solar panels. Isaac stood over the stove, letting a bucket of snow melt. The pipes froze over, plumbing and and pipes didn't work to get any water from the tank. All that was heated was the immediate room.

A few hours passed when the two had their initial conversation. The tension in the air was thicker than the snow that piled outside, and conversation suddenly became hard to do. Isaac was focused on trying to make this place comfortable for the two of them. Tina on the other hand…

The wound still hurt, even the slightest shift in her form sent a ripple of fire across her left arm. With every movement she winced more, and the stitch felt like it was reopening. She knew it wasn't, but it still wasn't as precise as Doc's hands so it didn't feel as comfortable. Thanks to the minds at Rainbow, they brought in a few medical goodies Her need for the wound, a type of paste filled with Finka's nanobots, working sort of as a tissue rebuilding goop, making the wound disappear almost instantly. The need of the blood bag was gone as well, feeling more fleshed out and less like a an empty bag of skin.

Tina was still stuck to the bed. Just because the blood was back in its regular amount doesn't mean her body wasn't weak. Now that she thought about it, it was reminiscent of a very, _very_ strong hangover. The symptoms were all there: achiness, drowsiness, and some nausea.

Tina noticed the small glances from her partner every now and then. Isaac asked, whenever caught, if she was fine. The answer was the same. That's how much conversation was extended as the minutes turned to hours.

The windows showed it was getting darker outside. The snow didn't let up either, piling enough to cover one third of the door. They had to keep sitting around and wait. When she caught another glimpse at him, he stared solemnly into the burning stove wood, clasping his hands together.

Tina didn't know how to feel about Isaac, now that the two were completely alone. The man saved her life for Christ's sake, and literally went out of his way to clean up the mess. Have they become friends, or will this just be some offcast mission that'll only let them be like this once? Not everyone in Rainbow are good friends, or even good acquaintances. There's always someone ready to argue and fight.

She didn't feel that way with Isaac. He was always a pensive and reserved man, even in the heat of a firefight. Patient too, something they had in common. He only ever voiced anything negative when there's yet more bickering between operators who didn't get along like Elena and Ash or Gustav and Olivier, but besides that, he just kept to himself. He was the only person to join by himself, without the need for another partner like all the other newcomers. Not to say he was alone, he got along well with the Americans, especially those that served in the military. And he was easy on the eyes, if he was less reserved he'd be more prone to one night stands like James or even Jordan.

But that's besides the point. They got along well, always being admirable in outdoors and general nature settings. They were comfortable in each other's presence, usually, without needed to say a word. Tina could just stare at his handsome face for hours, really, and never utter a word.

Ever since they've started this mission, she couldn't keep him off her mind. Isaac could say the same, the thought of her getting hurt made an ache in his chest, something he hasn't felt a long time. The only problem would be who'd admit their… attractions first. And what if it was only physical? Tina hadn't been intimate with anyone for a long time, Isaac too. The situation from the night she slept on her teammates bed was ambiguous at most.

She looked over at Isaac again. He stirred the kindle with a prodder, the fire creating a soft light on his face. It defined his features eloquently, dancing around the bridge of his strong nose, or the blunt edge of his jaw. The hair was messy and brushed back with rough fingers, the wavy curls holding back. His scruff was nearly a beard now, thick black hairs covering much of his lower face. What a sight to behold, she thought, she's hasn't seen someone so…

"You okay?" His low voice called out, eyeing her carefully. Tina froze and stuttered.

"Y-yeah, I'm good."

He nodded and went back to stirring the kindle. Tina blushed softly and looked away, trying to get the thought of him out of her head. She looked at the now darkened snow outside, seeing the flurry of nature rage. The man turned around to say something, but simply admired the gentle face. Her face was one full of soft features that mixed with sharp angles of her jaw. Her eyes were dark and somber, her hair shiny and black, and her skin pale and fair. She was never one for much makeup, wearing a simple amount of eyeshadow and eyeliner, giving off a gentle look. Her eyes always seemed like that they analyzed every little detail presented. Tina was prettier than most, with a stunning intellect to match.

Isaac spoke up again, noticing her stare outside the window. He had to hear her speak again, as odd as it sounded.

"Remind you of home?"

Tina nodded gently. "Sometimes the blizzards would last a day or so when it was real bad. I remember staying at my cabin in Vancouver Island with my dad, we were snowed in for the weekend and we had to sleep in a tiny closet," she smiled, nostalgia hitting her. "And we manage to catch my first Mountain Lion. That was a good winter."

She rose out of the bed, slowly shifting up. Isaac went over and helped her, the flesh around his hands tensing and heating up from the contact. Tina thanked him, sitting herself at the table. "What about you, does this remind you of home?"

"In a way," he explained, sitting across from her. "There isn't huge steep hills, but it's very similar."

She nodded and smiled. "How was it like, growing up in a mountain?"

Isaac shrugged. "I never lived there for long, moved about when I was eight to a rural coastal town, dad found a steady job there. It was nice though, plenty of nature and solitude for someone like me."

"And your family?"

Isaac shrugged. "Grew up in a house with mostly women, didn't get another male until my brother came along. Dad was a hardass but he's a good man, rest was your typical tropes. Type A sister, drama queen mother, annoying brother. Just… I don't know much about them right now, I haven't been contacting them recently."

Tina frowned. "Maybe they think you're busy, do they know what you do?"

"Ever since I've started working for the CIA, they understood my need for privacy. Every now and then I'd get a call from my mom, asking if I have a wife yet."

Tina went rigid. She couldn't be falling for a married man, would she? "Oh, are you?"

"Nope, from what I understand is not many people in Rainbow are married," Isaac shrugged. He scratched his stubble a bit. "I've gotten a few potentials, but that's what they were, potentials."

Tina felt a bit relieved, hearing the news on his current status. Isaac smiled and let out a soft chuckle. "What about you, how's your family like?"

"Mine?"

"Mmhm, what are they like?"

"Like any other typical Chinese parents, I suppose. Kinda strict in their own tenderly way, always pushing me to do well in school. My dad loves to hunt and taught me since I was the only kid for a while."

"You don't have any siblings?"

"I didn't have a sister 'til I was about 10, so it was a pretty big gap and I didn't get along very well," she grabbed a small mug from the side, stirring around water that was inside. "Her name's Linda, something more western, y'know."

"What's she doing now?"

"Law school, currently. My parents think I'm still doing Officer work."

"They don't know that you're an elite counter-terrorist operator who's constantly getting shot at?"

She gave a brilliant grin. "Yeah, they don't know yet. Planning on telling them sooner or later. What about your family?"

"I've been a grunt all my military career, they know I'd be going to war since I enlisted. If I tell them what I do they just think it's the same thing like i was back in Afghanistan," Isaac lowly said, sighing deeply. "They don't understand."

"Of course they don't Isaac, they didn't sign up for this like we did. This is why Rainbow is so close, because we can understand what goes through each other's minds." Her hand reaches for his, clasping it gently. "It should be easy for use to talk about these things."

Isaac smiled softly, his hand reaching for her hand on the table, grasping the fingers gently. "It's nice getting to know, Tina Lin Tsang."

Some heat came to her face, their hands more woven together and getting warmer. A flash of teeth came into her face, and she stared into those tired brown eyes of his. "It's nice getting to know you too, Isaac C. Meza."

* * *

 **A/N: New chapter, hope you enjoy and have a good one.**

 **-Mister Bombastic**


	8. Chapter 8

**A bit NSFW, you've been warned**

* * *

More time passed as they shared stories to each other, laughing or comforting over battles, friendships, and failed romances. They both were one in the same, simple and patient people stuck in a ever increasing difficult and rushed world. They shared some stories that haven't been said in a long time, opening up old wounds and exploring their fragile histories. It was nice to talk about something without being so judged or shamed. It made them feel comfortable with their presence.

"Wait wait wait, you said you weren't a good dancer! Why's that they made you dance for a… what's it called?"

"A _quincenera_ , it's like a Sweet 16. I had to dance with the main event, the birthday girl for a long song. My god, it was awful!"

The two started laugh heartily, regaining their breath. "And that's when you ripped

Isaac smiled and got up, searching the cabinets for a small stereo he manage to find while rummaging through the RV. He brought it to the table and placed it firmly in the middle, presenting her with a single CD. She looked at the box inquisitively. "Ray's personal CD?"

"I can assume that Ray was a White Mask," he smiled, reaching an open hand towards her. "I was hoping that you'd share a dance with me?"

Tina flushed, suddenly finding it hard to look into his eyes. She cleared her throat and glanced back. "I'm not the best dancer y'know."

"Neither am I," he grinned. "It'll be something to give a little stretch in this camper."

Tina blushed and took his hand, slowly rising along with her and easing her arm onto his shoulders. The pit of her arm still hurt, but it was just a minor inconvenience than before. She blushed, feeling his hands awkwardly reach to hold her side. He was a bit nervous, she noticed, the stoic face warped into a awkward smile and a strange furrowed brow. A little giggle couldn't help but escape, and he let out a dry chuckle. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," she replied. "It's just cute seeing you so nervous."

The little blush was all Tina needed to decide his reaction. He stammered out a word before she put her finger to his mouth, grinning warmly. He smiled, quieting down as the music started to play. It was a gentle ballad, something from Neil Young Isaac thinks. It was a bit romantic, with the music and somber light from the stove.

It was slow, of course. The music had a gentle beat to it that made their footing easier. They worked well, each of their legs never freezing or stiffening up, melting together to the rhythm of Harvest Moon. The gap that was between them slowly inched away with every small turn or little twirl that Isaac gave her. His hands lay gently on the lower sides of her waist, caressing the soft fabric of her undershirt gently. Tina's smaller, more delicate ones laid gently behind his neck, her head tilted to look at more carefully.

The moment was ready, and their eyes met. All Tina could think about was him and her, getting closer than before. The space between his lips and hers was so far, she needed to get closer. Isaac's heart raced, feeling the same emotion for his comrade, his insides stirring like a schoolboy's first love. He tilted his head gently as she closed her eyes and lifted herself towards him, ready for the impact of their faces.

"Tina…" he whispered. "Can… can I kiss you?"

She didn't respond, only to gently reach up and place her lips on his. A small one, her eyes closed as she melted into his grip. She was against him, feeling the steady and rapid beats of their chest. She broke away, breathing deeply before they both leaned in, a stronger passionate kiss taking form. She lifted her leg against his, Isaac's hand grasping it firmly. The heat from his face was powerful, stronger than the fire that started to burn in him. She could only let out a soft moan from the needed lip locking, breaking away to catch their breath. He stared deeply into her eyes, gulping at the sight of a disheveled and loving partner.

Tina let her hand climb up and feel his face, brushing his messy hair back. "Isaac, I want you."

He groaned, kissing her again. It was a bit rough, but she welcomed it anyways. "There's no protection. We can't…"

She reached for him again, pushing to make the kiss deeper. Isaac quickly made for the wall of the RV, nearly pushing her to it. Tina squeaked, startled by the action but yet, her heart was beating out of her chest. She kept kissing him, her tongue brushing against his lip to prod him deeper. He obliged, letting his mouth open. Her leg slid up even more, wrapping halfway across his thigh.

She was getting close, her hips squeezing into his with more eagerness. Isaac wanted it too, but there was just no way to do it safely, they'd have to get creative or do it simple. That didn't matter for now, they'll think of something.

Tina's hand slowly crawled towards the bottom of his shirt, then to the hem of his belt. She eagerly tucked at it, quickly latching into his crotch. He shuddered, feeling himself strain against the fabric and grip of her palm. This wasn't right, they can't do it.

He placed his hands Tina's shoulders and pushed her back, holding tightly. "Tina, stop."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong," he replied. "We can't do this."

There was some disbelief in her face, then a scoff. "What do you mean we can't? It's just us."

"Tina, you _know_ we can't. Even here where it's just us, it's not the best thing to do."

Tina isn't acting herself, she was being impulsive, strangely so. Had he dug that deep into her feelings?

"Isaac, I…" She gulped, looking down. "I understand. This… this isn't the smart thing to do."

"Believe me Tina, I want to," he leaned in for a quick kiss, then broke away, nuzzling her neck. "I really want to, but I don't know if you like me."

"Isaac, whenever you do something I can't seem to get you out of my head," Tina whispered. "The way the fire shines on your face, the way you give a little comment in every mission summary, Hell, even the scent of that brush. That damn lemon smell. I always thought you were such a good man, a good soldier— but now it's different."

"How is it different, now that I'm kissing you?" He have a weak yet sincere chuckle.

"Yes, but since the beginning of her mission, when I got to know you so much more, of how much more vulnerable you really are," she admitted, her arms climbing the muscles of his back to pull him to a hug. "I'm… I think I love you."

He didn't say anything at first, rather, he kept his hug steady and pressed close, easing around the arm that she was injured in. Her breathing was easy, then ragged. Tina spoke up again, her voice trembling slightly. "But you're right. We can't fall in love in a place like this, in a job like ours."

She wiped away an incoming tear. "If there was ever anything to happen to you, I wouldn't know how to deal with myself. And I manage to let myself get to that level of emotion, it's so unprofessional."

"Tina, listen to me," Isaac cupped her face. "When you got shot, my heart stopped. It was the worst thing I've felt in a long time and I… and I thought I wouldn't find anyone as amazing as you. That's why I want this to end before it starts. This job, you know what it could mean for us."

She looked at him, eyes full of hurt and understanding. Anymore tears that appeared she quickly wiped off her face. Isaac wiped away one she missed. "You don't need to cry."

"I know, it's just all we've been through recently. I just wish…" she sobbed, crying softly into his chest. Isaac could only comfort her. "I wish we can be at least normal, just for once."

He held her bangs back, stroking Tina's silky black hair gently. "We gave up normal years ago, Tina. Even if we—"

"Isaac," she grabbed his hand and lowered it to her neck, and then farther until it reached the soft mound on her chest. Whatever he was going to say got stuck in his throat, feeling himself heat up. "Just for tonight, please."

Isaac took a deep sigh and kissed her again. It wasn't along until it returned to a vigorous passion of mouths, letting their indulgences take over. As the window howled outside, they decided to make it to the bed to share a night of warmth.

* * *

The morning lit up the room, the clouds breaking apart making the sun shine brilliantly. They were already awake, simply enjoying the afterglow and the radiance of the room. Tina nuzzled underneath his side, her hand gently swaying across his chest. Isaac held her in his arms, admiring the scarred and rosy flesh.

"We need to get going," Tina finally broke the silence. "We're going to miss pickup."

"First you wanted to be together, and now you want the job," Isaac chuckled. "Looks like I'm that good in bed, switching minds around."

"Hold your horses cowboy, it was just for the night." The reminder made him sigh. "And besides, we don't want to waste their time looking around."

"Right," Isaac sat up, brushing her hairs back. "Let's get going then."

* * *

They scoured the entire compound for info, digging through the snow that swallowed up half the doors to barge inside. They got some intel, but not what they wanted. Just papers on when and where's, but never what they shipped. The frustration brought out the patience of the two.

The body was inevitable. The only person to remain back at base and presumably destroy any remaining pieces of evidence. Tina simply stood over the body, half covered in snow and flesh blackened by frostbite. His head was nearly unrecognizable, simply being a chunk of what was left. The mask somehow to stay relatively in place.

Tina looked over the body with an empty expression. The person nearly killed her, making her nearly bleed out in the middle of nowhere without only one witness. Maybe in the deliriousness of blood loss, she had to thank him. The man made her realize her feelings for Isaac, after all.

"I found a radio, just communicated with HQ for a new pickup here...What're you doing?" Isaac asked, snow crunching underneath his boots. He approached her slowly, looking at the body then back at her. "The clean up crew will deal with the body Tina."

"I know," She said. "Just thinking."

Isaac furrowed his brows apprehensively. Maybe it was best to leave her be. He returned back to the building, acquiring the radio. "This is X-ray, do you copy?"

"Yes X-ray, this is HQ. Over."

"Who will be cleaning up the mess at the WM base?"

"We'll be sending the Canadians to clean up any other things you two missed. For now, sit tight for pickup. HQ out."

Isaac put away the radio and stepped out of the building, unraveling a flare from his pouch. Tina was sitting quietly on a fallen log, admiring the cleanliness of the snow around them. Isaac popped the flare, tossing over to the snow and went over to the log.

When Isaac sat down, his gloved hand held at their side. Tina's reactively climbed hers over to his, interlacing the fingers and gripping it tightly. Her breath was steady, making small clouds in the chilly air. Isaac scooted closer to her, and sat in silence as the red flare begin to blaze in the middle of the snow.

* * *

 **A/N: Not over yet!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Hello Everyone, MB here with an announcement.**

 **I've recently noticed that my time to forever change my life for the better is quickly approaching, leaving little time for writing now. It seemed like yesterday when I thought of this story and all my others, both successful, unfinished, and abandoned. Needless to say, I'm super thankful for all your warming reviews and comments on my stories, both negative and positive. I'm super grateful for all the wonderful characters that I've received, even if I hadn't accepted all of them or not in the stories, sorry if i didn't! But that's just how it works. You need to figure out who'll make the cut and who won't. Reason why I'm saying this is that I'll be taking a long break from writing and fanfiction, and heading my way to the Military.**

 **I use my phone and computer most of the time and there will be limited access to it obviously. It'll be the hardest yet most rewarding part of my life. I hope you all also do well for the next few months and enjoy the holidays.**

 **I wanted to story to be at least 12 chapters long, with more emphasis on the foxhole, but time is a fast and cruel mistress so I shortened it. It was my first time writing slow burn so I think it's not as good as the ones I've read lol. Anyway, as a small going away gift, here's a little epilogue of what happens after the mission. Enjoy.**

* * *

It wasn't the same since the mission. Whenever they would see each other during the training, debriefing, or just in the halls, the wave of longing would wash over.

They didn't say anything beyond a professional approach much like before. A simple hello or a wave would water down the suspicions of the mission before, where Jäger said he seen them act rather more personal than before. Thankfully Jäger was one who understood social interactions poorly, and everyone assumes he misinterpreted something. Thank god for that.

But to those with a much more keen eye, there was obviously something hidden from the rest of the team. Isaac hoped he didn't come off as defensive or anything of the sort whenever the topic came up, either during a "between the guys" sort of thing or a professional screening.

Jack was the first one to notice something. He would analyze their faces whenever they spoke, looking for the tiniest hint of passion or attraction. He must've known something, considering he's very good at that sort of thing. Whenever he'd see Isaac or Tina, he'd give a knowing smirk, but didn't say anything. Maybe he was a bit of a romantic.

Isaac felt unlike himself, sneaking around someone he shared a passionate night with, and even strong attraction. He knows Tina also needed to communicate, she needed to get it off her chest.

Isaac took the offensive and knocked passively on her barrack door, almost swinging out immediately after. Tina smiled at him, and gestured him inside.

"Isaac, it's good to see you," Tina said. Their constant avoidance made it like they never saw each other for weeks.

"You too, Tina," Isaac replied, taking a seat on a small chair in the corner table. Tina took a seat as well, pulling out two beers from the mini-fridge nearby.

"I'm guessing you're not here for the sweet sustenance of Wolson beer?" She jokes dryly, anxious for the eventual shift in mood. Isaac quietly snorted, taking the bottle.

"I prefer Modelo," he played it on. He sipped the beer gently and set it on the table. His expression turned more serious. "I want to know how you feel about me still, even after this… I don't know what to call it, avoidance?"

"Isaac, I think it should be obvious," Tina sighs. "Of course I still love you, but I'm feeling like you don't love me."

"Don't say that, of course I love you Tina. It's like what I said before, we can't just announce it. If Six ever finds out…"

"She doesn't have to," Tina quickly interrupted. "No one does." Her hand slowly reached for his and clasped tightly, feeling warm and soft. Isaac smiled, leaning in over the table and kissing her. She reciprocated.

"Oh Isaac," she breathed. "I wish we could just be us."

"It could, you guys just need to be professional." That was when Jack's voice interrupted the two. Both of them quickly stood up, like deers caught in headlights.

"How long have you been there?" Tina questioned.

Jack simply shrugged. "Enough to see what you guys are to each other. I don't know why you're hiding it, it's pretty obvious."

"Is it?" Isaac asked.

"What's more obvious is that both of you apparently don't pay attention to the other couplings that go on. I mean, you put a bunch of good-looking people of other genders and preferences in a small place like this?" Jack gestured around. "I'm more shocked that they didn't expect relationships to form."

"So… were not the only ones?"

"Far from it, I wanted to make sure I'd win a bet," he says, leaning off the doorway. "So, are you together."

Isaac looked over to Tina, who beamed shyly. They grabbed each other's hand and looked confidently into each other's eyes.

"Yes, yes we are."

* * *

 **Hope you've enjoyed. I hope you all have a wonderful life, and until next time, stay golden.**

 **-Mister Bombastic**


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